Glasgow Restaurant Goes Smoke-Free

A Little Taste of Texas is a family-owned and operated restaurant best known for their steaks. Lunch-time is their busiest time of day. But now there's a big change at A Little Taste of Texas.

Owner, Kathryn Farrell says, "We've had a lot of customers that have asked us. They've been talking to us about it. You know, going non-smoking. Because they like to come here and some people are really uncomfortable with the smoking."

So now the restaurant will be non-smoking for the month of February. It's a welcome decision many of the diners we spoke to.

Tim Allen says, "I would much rather take my children to a restaurant that’s non-smoking."

Danny Thrasher says, "The food tastes a whole lot better when you don't have to smell the smoke. It's more enjoyable."

Since most restaurants' smoking section is really just an imaginary line down the middle the non-smoker's still have to breathe in smoke. And as Doctor Melissa Walton Shirley explains just second hand smoke can be dangerous.

Dr. Melissa Walton Shirley, "Whenever a patient is exposed to tobacco smoke they have an increased risk of clotting. And we all know that clot is the basis for heart attack."

Health reasons were a big concern for the family that operates A Little Taste of Texas. Farrell's father, Ken Lane, is a reformed smoker who is battling emphysema. She says she's had many people come up and thank her for making the restaurant smoke-free.

But on the other hand..."I have some people tell me they're going to boycott us and they're not coming in here because of that. We are in tobacco-country here and people are very passionate about smoking."

Farrell says at first she was afraid of going smoke-free. But now she thinks it will even itself out. She says she feels like the business she loses from smokers she will gain in non-smokers. And ironically, all the wait staff at A Little Taste of Texas are smokers.

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